Newtown Baths will re-open to the public next month following vital repairs.
The pool has been closed since vital repairs revealed asbestos in the ceiling and roof.
Now, following works totalling £170,000 to safely remove the asbestos and provide new structural supports, it will reopen next month (provisionally scheduled for August 16).
Cllr Martin Mullaney, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Sport & Culture, said: “Re-opening this pool is a major boost for the community and also for the city’s elite swimmers, who train at Newtown.
“We have an ambitious long-term goal for new community pools across the city but we know the importance of keeping existing facilities open in the meantime.
“I worked closely with my cabinet colleague Cllr Ayoub Khan to secure funding for the repair work and further down the line we can look at plans for a new pool.”
Plans for a new pool in Newtown are proposed to be incorporated in the second phase of Birmingham City Council’s ambitious community pools programme.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Swim for free in Birmingham this summer
The national free swimming initiative for under-16s and over-60s may have been scrapped but Birmingham residents of all ages can still take the plunge free of charge – thanks to an award winning Birmingham City Council/NHS partnership.
Launched in September 2009, the Be Active scheme offers all Birmingham residents free swimming, group exercise classes and gym sessions.
Click here for more information: http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/beactive
For further information contact Geoff Coleman on 0121 303 3501
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